CARA Connection newsletter

March 2018

Members may access all previous editions of the CARA Connection via our Resource Library upon logging in.

Submission Guidelines 

The CARA Connection Newsletter is a bi-monthly, bilingual e-newsletter, providing information on trends, issues and insights into the professional world of Research Administration. The CARA Connection’s purpose is to provide a forum for the Research Administration community to share current ideas on research and research administration.

If you would like to contribute to the CARA Connection Newsletter, please send the submission for consideration to Sarah Lampson, Executive Director of CARA at executive_director@cara-acaar.ca

Below are specific guidelines for submission:

  • Content must be relevant to Research and/or Research Administration.
  • All writing formats are accepted.  These include blog entries, publication reviews, event announcements, feature stories, articles, etc. 
  • Work must be submitted as an email attachment in Microsoft Word format.
  • If a piece has already been published elsewhere, please note the details of the previous submission at the end of your piece.
  • Authors should provide accurate references for all data and information used in their submissions.
  • Although there is no word limit, articles are generally no longer than 500 words.  Longer submissions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 
  • There is no submission deadline and we accept submissions on a rolling-basis.

CARA Connection also welcomes photo submissions to accompany articles or as standalone submissions.

  

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Member Testimonials

  • The courses that I have taken so far in the Research Administration Certificate program have been very interesting and exceedingly useful. Through discussions with my peers in the program, I have learned so much about the topic areas as well as how common issues are handled at other institutions. The instructors have been really well organized, engaged, and responsive to suggestions. I have also very much appreciated the involvement of international students in the program. They have brought a different and interesting perspective to the discussion topics. Overall, I am very happy with the way the program is organized, the course content and relevant assignments, the instructors, and the Mohawk College elearn platform.

    Jacqueline Dockray

  • I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Process Pathways for sponsoring the CARA Poster Competition. Submitting a poster to the CARA poster competition is an excellent way to engage with your colleagues at our national conference, facilitate discussions and spark new ideas. Winning the poster competition was a nice professional acknowledgement and a great opportunity to share my research on the globalization of clinical trials. I look forward every year to seeing the work of my fellow research administrators being featured. Katie Porter, Director of Research Administration, Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation

  • Gwen E. Hill, MA, Coordonnatrice du développement de la recherche, Royal Roads University

  • My membership in CARA over the past six years has been incredibly helpful to my growth as a Research Development Coordinator. I have been fortunate to attend many CARA National and CARA West conferences, which have always provided me with opportunities to learn more about the Canadian funding environment and research portfolio development, while supporting the development of my professional network. In recent years I have enjoyed participating in CARA more actively by volunteering to teach webinars, work with a special interest group, and edit the CARA newsletter. Through CARA’s partnership with ARMA, I am currently wrapping up my Certificate in Research Administration, and looking forward to further training through the Certificate in Research Management. CARA has been of great personal and professional benefit to me as a Research Development Coordinator, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their research administration knowledge and networks.

    Gwen E. Hill, MA, Research Development Coordinator, Royal Roads University

  • My membership in CARA over the past six year has been incredibly helpful to my growth as a Research Development Coordinator. I have been fortunate to attend many CARA National and CARA West conferences, which have always provided me with opportunities to learn more about the Canadian funding environment and research portfolio development, while supporting the development of my professional network. In recent years I have enjoyed participating in CARA more actively by volunteering to teach webinars, work with a special interest group, and edit the CARA newsletter. Through CARA’s partnership with ARMA, I am currently wrapping up my Certificate in Research Administration, and looking forward to further training through the Certificate in Research Management. CARA has been of great personal and professional benefit to me as a Research Development Coordinator, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their research administration knowledge and networks.

    Gwen Hill

  • Research Administration Certificate program is an excellent match to my interest, as I am interested in acareer in research development. Thecourse contents are highly valuable in terms of building upon myexpertise. Furthermore, this program provides a platform tocommunicate and share knowledge andexperience with the professionals in diverse institutions in Canada, a fantastic opportunity tolearn fromeach other. This program is doing wonders to me - I committo contribute to the CARA community andwish success of the program.

    Sanjukta Choudhury, Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Saskatchewan

  • These weekly classes are highly relevant to my work interests. I can tailor the assignment topics to my own professional development needs and source from my work experiences, knowledge, and current projects.For me, the best part of these courses has been the hundreds of insightful discussions about research development and administration issues my peers and I share. Learning how these are dealt with at other institutions has been invaluable, as are the connections I’ve made with colleagues from a range of research institutions, across the country and abroad.

    Gen Clark, Research Facilitator

  • Funding received through CARA’s certificate bursary will help me achieve the professional certification requisite I need to qualify for a more senior research development position.

  • As a new member of CARA, and an emerging researcher administer, I’m thrilled to be awarded the CARA bursary for the Research Administration Certificate. This bursary will ensure that I can financially continue my studies while I transition within my career in research administration. One of the reasons I’m taking the Research Admin certificate is to further my career in this field, and explore the incredible opportunities provided by CARA and Mohawk. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to increase my knowledge and improve my skills so that I can be at the leading edge of research administration within the Canadian research environment.

  • Certification in the Research Administration program provided me a great opportunity to learn about various facets of research administration (pre- and post-grant) that are useful in my daily work setting. It has empowered my knowledge about the field in general. I may not have got a chance to explore those topics in-depth on my own if I was not taking this course. It was especially a very valuable experience for someone like me who transitioned form the other side of the table (research) to the research administration world. It has allowed me to connect with expert CARA colleagues and mentors who facilitated my journey to the finish line. Overall, it was an absolute fantastic experience!

    Anita Sharma, Research Grants Development Officer, Thompson Rivers University

  • Excellent course, practical content and instructors are quick to respond to any questions.

    Toni Tidy about the Contracts & Reporting Course in the Research Administration Certificate

  • The Research Administration program offered through CARA/Mohawk College is a wonderful learning opportunity for both new and existing administrators in the profession.Research is unique, complex and always evolving. This program offers administrators the knowledge needed to understand all aspects of research administration from both the pre award and post award side. The online aspects of this course has been beneficial in providing flexibility in time management. As a working mom, I found this valuable to be able to listen to lectures and read the material when it best suited my schedule. In the short time frame I have been enrolled in the program, I already have gained a greater understanding of the challenges and complexities institutions face in the research environment. I look forward to learning more throughout the duration of the courses.

    Simonette Wood Research Administration Certificate

  • I have been fortunate to enroll in the Research Administration College Certificate sponsored through the Canadian Association of Research Administrators - at first out of curiosity to what my employees might gain from the experience. But to my delight, there are nuggets of wisdom and shared experience that are of benefit to all. Many of us get narrow in scopewith one or two functions within the project cycle, and in regards to funding sources and opportunities while this opportunity broadens one's understanding of the project life-cycle and opportunities while learning through other's shared success and failures. I would highly recommend activeparticipation in this professional development opportunity for researchadministrators at all levels.

    Dr. Greg Anderson, PhD Research Administration Certificate

  • Taking part in theCertificate in Research Administrationhas already been a great help in my current role. The applied nature of the assignments allow me to use them in my daily work, and relate my work to the course material. In addition, the coursework provides the opportunity to explore all areas of research and aspects of research administration, which I hope will be a resource for future career opportunities.

    Theodore Konya Certificate in Research Administration

  • CARA awards are an important part of our annual program as they recognize the immense effort our volunteers put into this organization. Receiving this award is important to me as it shows my superiors that CARA is valuable to me and that makes me valuable to my employer.

    Frances Chandler

  • As a recipient of both CARA’s Research Management Excellence Award, as well as the Dan Chase Distinguished Service Award, I have felt a renewed sense of pride in the work that I have done to advance the profession of research administration, and remain highly appreciative of CARA’s acknowledgement.CARA’s recognition has broadened my network, enhanced my marketability as a professional and, most importantly, allowed me to grow as a leader in our field. It is an honour to be recognized by one’s peers!

    Katie Porter

  • Receiving the Research Management Excellence Award in 2015 was a wonderful recognition by my peers as I began my 20th year in my career in research management. I was pleased, honoured and excited about the award. But more than that I was energized by this accolade. The fact that it came from peers made me recognize the importance of maintaining my networks among my peers who are always there to answer my questions and provide critical insight from their own perspectives. It also made me realize I have an obligation to return that energy and continue my role as a mentor to newer research administration professionals both in a formal role as a mentor in the CARA accreditation program but also informally among colleagues in CARA and internationally in ARMA and ARMS.

    David J Phipps

  • Truth be told, I bought the CARA publication because I contributed to the particular e-book,Career Journeys: Leaders Share Different Career Journeys in Research Administration, the third in this CARA initiative, so perhaps the purchase was fuelled by a bit of narcissism on my part.After reading through it, though, I was honoured to be included in this group of “leaders,” which I don’t think truly applies to me and is probably a detail I missed when I sent my contribution, and to be among a grouping that pretty much all have PhDs, something in which I am also lacking.But what impressed me about this publication is the diversity of people’s backgrounds and the variety of career paths that led them to their current post, something that I personally find fascinating. The recurring thread for those featured was that, for the most part, none had intentionally pursued a career in research administration, but all the various paths led them to this common ground. I also like that each entry had the writer’s distinct voice and personal story. I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in learning about others’ career paths, and who might want to find inspiration for how the amalgamation of various past experiences contributes to an individual’s overall evolution in employment.

    Carla DeMarco, University of Toronto

  • I have enjoyed my volunteer service to CARA. During the past two years, I have presented seven webinars for CARA. They provided an opportunity to learn the nuances of Canadian research administration and, importantly, to meet interesting colleagues through the online medium.I hope to continue my relationship with CARA by preparing further webinars on topics of interest to a broad CARA audience.

    Dean Smith

  • The Certificate Research Administration looks like a really exciting course. It looks quite intensive. The units look very interesting and very applicable to my position. The system is so easily laid out for students and the requirements are clearly stated. I really appreciate that the course is so well organized.

    Karen Mosier, University of Saskatchewan

  • CARA has been a wonderful learning and engagement experience for me. I attended my first national conference very early in my career and I decided that I wanted to be more engaged with the organization. I volunteered to do a little work with the Project Management SIG and then decided to place my name forward for service on the Executive. I was delighted and humbled to be appointed to the board and contributed some time on the PD Committee and conference organizing committees during my tenure. It was a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience meeting new colleagues and just immersing myself in and absorbing every drop of wisdom and experience with all of the amazing people who are and define CARA.

    Dean Strickland

  • Thanks to CARA's outstanding community of Research Administrators, I have been able to work on my professional development through webinars, recommended resources and special interest groups, just to name a few.CARA's mentoring program has also allowed me to develop many new skills and to find the support, motivation and positive role models that I had been looking for across Canada.I am obviously very grateful for all the opportunities that have been offered to me by CARA not only as a volunteer, but also as a member.

    Karin Dupeyron

  • Being part of CARA has been a very positive experience for me - I’ve learned, loved and grown in research administration a lot since I’ve become a member. Conferences are wonderful platforms for networking, sharing experiences, identifying pain points, discussions of various topics from ethics to metrics and getting first-hand information on TriCouncil changes/updates.

    Nur Eisma UBC / C&W Coordinator, Pre & Post Awards | Office of Research Services (ORS) & Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI)

  • I have been a member of CARA since 2003 and I have been involved as a presenter, session organizer, on the executive, as a CARA representative at tech transfer and export control conferences and even as a talent show host! I have attended INORMS and brought the experience of CARA to our research admin colleagues at ARMA in the UK and ARMS in Australia. Participating in CARA has always provided me with a sense of community. I have put questions up on the list serve, responded to questions when I felt I had anything relevant to say and I have folks I know I can call when I have questions that I am not yet ready to write down publicly. CARA helps me and my colleagues maximize the impact if our services for our researchers and our institution.

    David J. Phipps, Ph.D., MBA Executive Director, Research & Innovation Services | Division of Vice-President Research & Innovation Office of Research Services YORK UNIVERSITY

  • Being an active member of CARA is a great opportunity for professional growth, and I continue to reap the benefits of being a part of this dynamic network of Research Administrators.

    Katie Porter, MBA, MA, B.Ed Director of Research Administration | Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation

  • Through CARA I have met several Colleagues who I can also count as friends. The best part of CARA is networking with counterparts at other Institutions and sharing common issues and solutions. Networking through CARA greatly enhanced my knowledge from day 1.

    Angela Zeno, BA, CPA, CGA Manager, Research | Accounting York University

  • Through CARA, I can access highly educational webinars on very relevant topics. I am connected to an online community of research administrators, funders, and consultants from across Canada. It has been a very effective platform to pose questions and find solutions.

    Deepak S. Gupta, D. Sc., P. Eng. (AB) Director, Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Services (ARIES) | Centennial College

  • Long before there was any formal professional development available for research administrators in Canada there was CARA. CARA was, and is, a network of people who are generous with their time and expertise. When we are all pressured by time, and challenged with new and difficult situations, having this group of peer experts has been invaluable. Truly we have much to learn from each other and CARA as it is evolving continues to provide a forum of this to happen.

    Sandra Crocker Associate Vice-President | Carleton University

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